Pipe-coupling attachment for rotary drilling machines



1 5mg, 2%; G N. HOFFEQEAN COUPLING ATTACHMENT FOE RQTARY DRILLIHG EACHINES PIPE Filed Dec. 21

.W/T/VESSES r2 Patented Aug. 26 1924.

NETD STATES GEORGE W. HOFFMAN, F HQUSTON, TEXAS.

PIPE-COUPLING: ATTACHMENT FOR ROTARY DING- MACHINES.

Application filed Decemberfil, 1920. Serial 170. 432,340.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, residin at Houston, in the county of Harris and tate of Texas, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Piper-Coupling Attachments for Rotary Drilling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an attachment to be used on rotary drilling machines whic are so designed that thesections of pipe forming the drill shaft may be screwed together by the operation of the machine, and

' particularly to a tong holding and manipu- 315 lating device for such machines.

Rotary well boring machines have recently come into use in which the rotary table is composed of outer and inner parts, so arranged that the outer member may be revolved independently of the inner one, or which, when revolving, may, at the will of the operator, transmit motion to the inner member. In such machines, means are also provided for positively locking the inner member against rotation when it is desired that only the outer member rotate.

It is contemplated in such machines, that both members be driven or rotated for rotating the drill shaft to bore, but that when it is necessary to add another section of drill shaft, the inner member be locked against rotation while the outer one be rotated, and that tongs be supported in the outer member to engage the section of pipe to be added to transmit the rotative movement of the outer table member thereto to thread the pipe section into the drill shaft held stationary by the inner member. No prpvision has been made in such machines for supporting the pipe tongs for rotating them and for letting them move downwardly as the pipe sections thread together.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a support for the tongs to hold them in position to readily engage the pipe sections. 4

It is a further object to provide means whereby the tongs may move vertically to compensate for the telescoping movement 0 the pipe sections as theythread together.

A further object is to provide an improved means for causing the tong to efiectively grip the pipe after the tong has .been properly set.

These and other objects will be apparent f slidable on tong from the accompanying drawings, together with the description thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a vertical sectional view through a rotary table, showing my invention applied thereto;

Pdlig. 2 is a top view of the apparatus; an

Fig. 3 represents a vertical section through h the tong holder.

Referrlng to the drawing, 5 indicates a supporting frame in the form of skids on which the rotary drilling mechanism is carried. This mechanism comprises a stationary pedestal 6 on which is supported a rotary table 7. On the table 7 is an annular rack 8 in which engages a driving pinion 9 that is driven from any suitable source of power (not shown) through shaftlO. Antifriction hearings on which the table is carried are indicated at 11. Mounted on antifriction rollers 12 on the rotary table 7, is an inner member or drive ring 13 having a depending portion 14 and in which is a bushing 15.

At 17 is a reciprocable pin adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with notches in the depending portion 14, by means of which the drive ring may tively locked against rotation. 18 designates slidable pins adapted to hold the bushing 15 in position and to transmit motion from the drive ring thereto. A slidable pin 19 on the rotary table 7 adapted to enter openings in the drive ring 13 is provided to transmit motion from the table 7 to the ring 13. In a central openin in bushing 15 are slips 20 by means of W ich the pipe section A is held suspended in the bore during the time when another section of pipe is to be added.

lln the rotary table 7 is a recess or socket in which is inserted a vertical post 25, which is slotted at 26. Slidable on the post 25 is a bushing 27 adjustably secured in place by means of a set screw 27. Telescoping over a portion of this bushing is the tool holding member or carrier 28 which is also the post 25. At the upper end of this tool holding member 28 and on one side thereof is a transversely extending arm 29 having a bore therethrough at right angles to the post, forming a guide for a handle. A compression sprin 30 is placed within the tool holding mem er 28,

be posi-' and rests against the bushing 27 to yieldably support the tool holding member. A transverse bolt 31 passing through oppositely positioned slots 32 in the member and slot '26 in the post, serves to retain such member in osition and prevent it from rotating on the post.

Extending through the horizontal bore in the arm 29 on the tool holding member 28 is the handle 33 of a pipe tong of any suitable kind, and in order that it may be freely slida/ble, rollers may be provided in the bore at 34. A collar 35 is adjustably secured on the projecting end of the tong and a compression spring 36 embracing the tong handleand acting against this collar urges the tong to a retracted position away from the pipe. In some instances, it might be advantageous to place this spring in other positions to urge the tong in the direction of the At the end of the handle 33 is the pipe gripping tong 37 which may be of any preferred construction, and which grips the pipesection B which is to be screwed into place. C is thethreaded coupling.

Inasmuch as it frequently happens that the tongs will not grip the pipe until pressure has been applied to the handle, I provide a transverse rod or pin 38 which I term a kick-pin and which is adjustably secured in the post 25. The end of the kick pin extends inwardly suiiiciently far to engage a vertical pin 39 on the bushing 15. The handle 40 of a second pipe tong 41 also engages this pin to ensure against the pipe A rotatmg.

In the use of the invention, the pipe section A, which during the drilling operation is connected to a grief shown), is elevated and place, after which the grief stem is detached and the next section of pipe B is brought into position in vertical alinement with the shaft A, with its threaded end inserted in the threaded coupling C. Tongs 4:1 and 37 are then secured about the pipe sections A and respectively, and with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, the table is rotated while the drive ring, carrying pin 39, remains stationary.

It may happen when certain kinds of tongs 37 are used, that when the table rotates, rotating the tong and tong holder 28 with it, the tong will not immediately gri the pipe, it requiring pressure on the hand e to cause the tong to grip. Therefore, as soon as kick-pin 38 engages vertical pin 39 on the stationary drive ring, the'post 25 will be partially rotated, thereby applying pressure to tong lever 33, and so bringing the jaws the slips 20 put in of tong 37 into gripping contact with the pipe. When the kic post 25, it will be in and can ride past pin -pin has thus turned a tangential position 39. As the table roor grip stem (nota tates, the pipe section B will thread into coupling 0, radually moving downwardly. A correspon ing downward movement will be transmitted to the tong 37 and its handle 33. This will cause member 28 to move downwardly against the pressure of spring 30. Tong 41 serves to aid in preventing section A and coupling 0 from rotating with section B. The device might also be used for detaching the sections of pipe as the drill shaft is elevated to withdraw the bit.

do not claim the rotary table as my invention, nor do I limit myself to the application of my invention to the specific form of rotary table described. Neither do I limit my invention to the specific tong holding and manipulating device shown, as it is but an embodiment of my invention and changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims. hat I claim is:

1. A tong holding device for rotary drillmg machines comprisin a post adapted to be supported on the mac ine, a bushing adusta'ble on said post, a tool holding memretaining the tool holding member on the post and thereon.

3. A tong holding device for rotary drilling machines comprising a vertical member, tong carrying member vertically slidable thereon, a transverse guide on said member for slidably receiving a tong, and means for yieldably supporting the, tong carrying member.

4. The combination .with a tong having preventing it from turning a handle thereon, of a holding device therefor comprising a vertical member, a tong carrier slidable thereon and having a transverse guide in which the tong handle ls slldably supported, and a spring engaging the carrier and means on the tong handle tending to move the tongs horizontally relatively to the pipe to be engaged.

5. In combination with a rotary drilling machine having a table, a drive ring, means whereby the table may be rotated while the drive ring is held against rotation, and a drill shaft formed of threaded sections supported by the drive ring, of means for turning a section of shaft to thread it into a section held on said drive ring comprislng a tong adapted to engage a section of shaft to be added, means on the table for supporting the tong, and means whereby the tong and tong supporting means may move vertically to automatically adjust'themselves to turning a section of shaft to thread it into the movement of the pipe section to be a section held in said drive ring comprising added. a post supported on the rotary table, a tong 6. In combination with a rotary drilling holding member slidable on said post, a tong 6 machine havin a table, a drive ring, means carried by said tong holding member'an whereby-the ta le may be rotated while the adapted to engage the section of shaft to be drive ring is held against rotation, and a added, and means carried by the post adaptdrill shaft formed of threaded sections suped to engage stationary means on the drive orted by the drive ring, of means for turnring to move said tong into gripping rela- 10 mg a section of shaft to thread it into or tion with the section of pipe to be added out of a section held in said drive ring comupon rotation of the table. prising a tong for engaging a'section of pipe 9. The combination with a make and to be added, means on the table for supportbreak rotary having relatively stationary ing the tong including a slidably mounted and movable members when said rotary 1s 1 member arranged to be automaticallyvraised being used in making up pipe joints, of a and lowered with a corresponding movement tong post mounted on the relatively movable of the tong, whereby the tong and slidable member, a tong supporting means on the member may move vertically to adjust thempost movable vertically relatively thereto, selves to the movement of the pipe section to and ,a ton carried by the supporting means be turned, and means for engaging the pipe whereby t e tong may move vertically with section supported in the drive ring for prethe pi e which it engag s.

venting it from rotating. 10. he combination with a make and 7. In combination with a rotary drilling break rotary having relatively stationary machine having a table, a drive ring, and and movable members when said rotary is means whereby the table may be rotated being used in making u a pipe jomt, a while the drive ring is held against rotation, string of pipe non-rotatab y held in the staand a drill shaft formed of threaded sections tionary member, said string having a consupported by the drive ring, of means for pling at its upper end, a section 0 pipe to turning a section of shaft to be added to be added having its lower end threaded and thread it into a section held in said drive entered in the coupling, a tong post on the ring comprising a tong adapted to engage relatively movable section, a tong carrying the section to be added, means on the table means on the post movable vertically with for supportingsaid tong, and means for aprespect thereto, a tong on said means engagplying pressure to the tong to cause it to ing the section of pipe to be added, said vergrip the section to be added upon rotation tically movable carrying means permitting of the table. the tong to move down as the u per section 8. In combination with arotary drillin .is screwed into the coupling, an means for machine having atable, a drive ring and urging the tong supporting means upwardly. means whereby the table may be rotated In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

' 40 while the drive ring is held against rotation, GEORGE W. HOFFMAN.

and a drill shaft formed of threaded sections Witnesses: supported by the drive ring, of means for Rev D. WEBB, 

